What is psychotherapy?

According to the APA’s Society of Clinical Psychology, psychotherapy involves communication between patients and therapists and is intended to help people:

• find relief from emotional distress

  • “I want to feel less anxious/depressed/angry/afraid”

• seek support or solutions to problems in their lives, losses, or dissatisfaction in their career

  • “I feel very disappointed that this happened,” / “my family and I haven’t been getting along lately”

• change patterns of thinking or acting that are interfering with feeling productive or enjoying personal relationships

  • “Why do I lash out at the people I love?”

• meet personal goals of self-improvement

  • “I’m feeling pretty good right now but could probably make more time for self-care”

Therapy will often include you and your therapist coming together to discuss the issues or reasons that motivated you to seek therapy, working together to develop goals you would like to achieve in treatment, and implementing the steps necessary to get you on your path towards success.

Therapy can sometimes be difficult and uncomfortable. It might challenge you to step out of your comfort zone in order to make meaningful change. However, research has shown time and time again that it could serve as a very useful tool to get you the help you need.

How do I know if I need therapy?

Contrary to what you might have heard, seeking therapy is not only limited to “having a problem.” Often times, people might seek therapy for self improvement. You might already feel good about yourself and your life, but you might also have questions about whether there’s any way you could keep growing or evolving. Maybe you want to learn more about yourself or develop a new healthy habit. Who couldn’t use a boost to their self-esteem, self-care routine, or self-compassion? Therapy can provide you with the information, motivation and support to make this happen.

If you are considering therapy due to an ongoing or recent struggle in your life, there are some helpful questions to ask yourself about whether now is the time to start therapy.

Ask yourself:

• Do you spend time thinking about the problem every week?

• Is the problem affecting your quality of life? That is, if your problem didn’t exist, how much would your life improve?

• How much is the problem interfering with your life? Does it take up a lot of time and energy on a daily basis?

• Is the problem causing even more issues to add up at work, at home, or in your relationships?

• Are you rearranging your lifestyle or priorities to accommodate the problem?

• Do you find yourself feeling ashamed or embarrassed of the problem and do you find it difficult to talk to your loved ones about it?

If you found yourself answering “yes” to any of these questions, it might be time to consider talking to a therapist. If you still have doubts or questions, we can address them during the consultation to better understand if therapy would be helpful.

How long does therapy take?

It is up to you and your therapist to come up with your definition of success. This is going to involve developing clear goals that will help you track your progress and what it would look like to achieve them. These goals can also change or evolve through the therapy process, which is totally fine!

There have been some research studies that suggest that 50% of people find relief in their self-reported symptoms in about 15-20 therapy sessions. For more significant difficulties, it could take between 12-18 months of treatment to find relief in symptoms. Length of therapy is a personal decision, and it is an important ongoing conversation to have with your therapist.

How often do I need to go to therapy?

The standard of practice has been to have weekly therapy sessions. However, I am open to discussing a different frequency depending on your needs.

Why is therapy so expensive?

This is something many therapists have grappled with themselves. The following article provides a clearer understanding of the costs associated with psychotherapy and why it can be so expensive.

Why don’t you take insurance?

Most insurance companies work from a “medical model” of psychotherapy. This means that they might only provide coverage if you meet specific diagnoses and if I adhere to their approach to treatment. For example, if you find yourself having a tense period with a loved one and just need some support to talk things through but don’t meet the criteria for a mental health diagnosis (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, etc.), it is unlikely the insurance company would cover your therapy sessions.

It is my hope to be able to work with you depending on your needs and goals without the limitations placed on your treatment by an insurance company.

Do you work with symptoms or conditions not listed under your areas of focus?

Yes. Throughout my educational and professional training, I have worked with individuals facing a wide range and variety of difficulties. The areas I have listed are focus areas in which I have received in-depth training and issues with which I have worked the most. If I feel that I cannot fully meet your needs or do not have training in what you are looking for, I will provide you with referrals to someone that can.